It’s a good time for a German road trip! Quite spontaneously, just a few minutes after waking up, my partner wanted to take a drive to of all places the CentrO mall in Oberhausen. Two hours away. With nothing planned for the day, despite a bank account running on fumes and the rather long drive, it took all of 60 seconds to say yes.

The drive was pretty uneventful though quite sunny, which was a welcome change from what we’ve been getting lately. Once we hit Germany, the differences in road quality and driving speed became much more obvious — the Autobahn may be legendary but it could really stand a new coat of asphalt. Once we got there, the free parking, American-type shopping, cheaper food (well, cheaper everything really) made the two-hour trip entirely worth it.

While I didn’t have any spending plans, I ended up with a couple of pieces from Zara, and because of an understanding partner, was frighteningly this close to getting an irresistibly beautiful new Macbook. Despite wanting for the longest time to get a replacement for my trusty 8-year old classic white Mac, a quick reality check – a minor miracle at that – jolted me back and made me move quickly to the exit door before any damage could be done. Two more harmless store stops after that and a quick, cheap meal and it was back to our little town of Amsterdam. Thanks for making it quick and easy, CentrO, hope we meet again soon.